By Judy Carmack Bross
The 2025 Making History Award recipients along with some of the past winners there to congratulate them
“Our primary goal is to celebrate great Chicagoans who have contributed to make Chicago a more vibrant, and more dynamic city. We are the stewards of Chicago’s history with a mission to collect, preserve and share Chicago’s many diverse stories,” Michael Anderson, Vice President of External Engagement and Development at the Chicago History Museum, about the recent Making History Awards, held annually for 31 years.
Chicago History Museum President and CEO Donald Lassere greets the 500 guests at the Museum’s Making History Awards
This year’s Making History recipients Martin Cabrera, Jr, Susan Crown, the Hon. Rahm Emanuel and the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, celebrating its 50th season, more than fit the criteria as great honorees. In fact, two honorees just recently received national attention well beyond our city when Steppenwolf won the Tony Award for best play and Emanuel announced that he was considering a run for the Presidency.
Steppenwolf’s Executive Director Brooke Flanagan and Co-Artistic Director Audrey Francis with the Hon. Rahm Emanuel
Nearly 500 guests filled the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago’s ballroom, one of the event’s largest turnouts ever, surpassing their $1 million goal for the evening. Since its beginning, 141 Chicagoans including Gwendolyn Brooks, Studs Terkel, Bill Kurtis and Donna La Pietra, Captain James Lovell, Shirley and Patrick Ryan, Carlos Tortolero, and Sara Paretsky, and 14 Chicago companies have been honored. This year’s winners will be pictured along with all past winners in a gallery near the Museum’s popular North & Clark Café.
News Anchor Ali Velshi served as Master of Ceremonies
The Hon. Rahm Emanuel receives his Making History Award from Michael Sachs
MSNBC News Anchor, Ali Velshi who is a member of the board of trustees at the Chicago History Museum and a student of history, told the audience as Master of Ceremonies: “To truly lean into this moment in time, it’s important to provide a context where we can link the past with the present, connecting us to not only Chicago history but to one another. Even though I don’t live in Chicago I keep coming back because the Chicago History Museum is able to do this.”
Martin Cabrera, Jr. speaks after receiving his award
Steppenwolf Board Chair Keating Crown who introduced Brooke Flanagan
Susan Crown acknowledges her award
Velshi highlighted each of the recipients roles in Chicago before each were presented the award by a peer who singled out their many accomplishments and then welcomed to the stage to receive their award. Martin Cabrera as “the leader of one of the largest Latino financial institutions in the country and a force for the community”; Susan Crown as a third-generation leader of the Crown family and Chair of their family philanthropies”; the Hon. Rahm Emanuel who as Mayor “made the Riverwalk a unifying space and contributed something to each of our 77 neighborhoods,” and to Steppenwolf, and Audrey Francis, Co-Artistic Director and Brooke Flanagan, Executive Director, who accepted the award, “for not only the Tonys and many other awards but for sparking the imagination of teenagers through their teen center, the Loft.”
Michael Anderson lauded Velshi for his role at the Chicago History Museum.
“He brings not only his professionalism but also his passion for history. He really believes in the value of history and makes it personal.”
Emir Armstead-Lee from Steppenwolf’s Young Adult Council, performing a monologue
A special part of the evening was a presentation by two brilliant young students, Emir Armstead-Lee, Matea Valley High School, class of 2025, and Jesse Hosek, Lane Tech High School, class of 2025, doing monologues from Fool for Love by playwright Sam Shepard who was born at Ft. Sheridan. Both students are on Steppenwolf’s Young Adult Council. “When suitable we have had other performances showcasing the honoree’s work or passions. One year Jesse White brought along his Tumblers,” Anderson said.
Choosing the recipients is almost a year-long process, Michael Anderson told us:
“Starting in August and September the Making History Awards committee comprised of Chicago leaders and past honorees begin to pull together the slate. At first, we thought Rahm was a long shot but he got back to our board member and committee member David Hiller in 24 hours to say he would be delighted. We are grateful for our committee members like Carole Segal that have the ability to pick up the phone to ask potential honorees like Susan Crown. The selection process is very rigorous and strategic.
Susan Crown received her award from past recipient Carole Segal, co-founder of Crate and Barrel, the founder and former CEO of Foodstuffs, and the president of the Segal Family Foundation.
“From the beginning, the awards ceremony was created to honor great Chicagoans, but also to raise money to support the Chicago History Museum. The Awards ceremony was started in 1993 by then trustees Jo Minow, Barbara Kipper and Ned Jannotta who still remain Life Trustees at the Museum, and many others. This annual fundraiser is dually important because we want to honor deserving Chicagoans and it comes near the end of our fiscal year and it plays a very important role in our annual fundraising goal.”
This was the first year when a real emphasis was put on encouraging past honorees to attend with hopes to create identities and a community of past honorees, such as “Making History Honoree, class of 2025”. Thus, the “Making History Society” was born which will welcome each cohort of new honorees each year into the Society. On a visit to the Café at the Museum, a view of all the winners as well as delicious food await. And the most important thing:; tour the Chicago History Museum, Chicago’s oldest cultural institution whose doors opened just 20 years after the City’s founding.
Anderson explains why:
“The Museum reminds us of who we are, even in difficult times, and how we are all connected. We are celebrating Chicago by telling stories of are many diverse and beloved neighborhoods and communities. All over Chicago organizations are honoring people all the time but we honor those whose enduring contributions to our community have made Chicago a better and more vibrant place to live. This annual event supports the mission of the Chicago History Museum which will still be around 100 years from now as our city’s history lives on.”
For more information about the Chicago History Museum, visit: chicagohistory.org
Photo Credit. Kyle Flubacker Photography
